University of New Haven Holds First Saudi Alumni Gathering in Riyadh as Preparation for Historic Riyadh Campus Intensifies
Event brings together Saudis educated in Connecticut ahead of UNH’s planned branch opening under Vision 2030
The University of New Haven (UNH) recently convened its first-ever alumni event for Saudi graduates in Riyadh, underscoring growing ties between the American institution and the Kingdom as it prepares to launch its long-planned branch campus.
The gathering, held in the Saudi capital, brought together UNH alumni from across the Kingdom — many of whom studied at the university’s Connecticut campus — to reconnect and celebrate the university’s expanded role in Saudi higher education.
The timing is significant: in October 2025, Saudi authorities formally approved UNH to open the country’s first foreign branch campus, with operations expected to begin in Fall 2026. The Riyadh campus is projected to serve up to 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students across three colleges — Business & Digital Innovation; Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing; and Arts & Applied Sciences.
Officials described the alumni event as both a reunion and a strategic stepping stone to build a local community ahead of the campus launch.
Attendees included former Saudi students who praised the university’s blend of American-style education with international curricula and its alignment with the Kingdom’s economic transformation agenda under Vision 2030. Many stressed the event’s importance in forging networks and mentorship pathways for future Saudi students entering the UNH-Riyadh programme.
The forthcoming on-ground campus will offer U.S.-accredited degrees, micro-credentials, preparatory English courses, and combined academic and professional-training tracks — a model designed to meet Saudi Arabia’s evolving workforce needs in sectors such as technology, engineering, business and security.
The pre-university programme is slated to begin early in 2026 to ready prospective students for full-degree studies.
While UNH has supplied education to Saudi students for decades and previously collaborated with Saudi institutions, this marks the first time an event has been held specifically for Saudi alumni, signaling a deeper institutional commitment to the Kingdom.
Organisers said they intend to make such gatherings a regular feature, helping build a strong local alumni network, support student recruitment, and enhance community engagement ahead of the Riyadh campus inauguration.
The alumni event may therefore serve as a blueprint for how international institutions can integrate with local educational ecosystems in Saudi Arabia’s era of reform and expansion.
The gathering, held in the Saudi capital, brought together UNH alumni from across the Kingdom — many of whom studied at the university’s Connecticut campus — to reconnect and celebrate the university’s expanded role in Saudi higher education.
The timing is significant: in October 2025, Saudi authorities formally approved UNH to open the country’s first foreign branch campus, with operations expected to begin in Fall 2026. The Riyadh campus is projected to serve up to 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students across three colleges — Business & Digital Innovation; Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing; and Arts & Applied Sciences.
Officials described the alumni event as both a reunion and a strategic stepping stone to build a local community ahead of the campus launch.
Attendees included former Saudi students who praised the university’s blend of American-style education with international curricula and its alignment with the Kingdom’s economic transformation agenda under Vision 2030. Many stressed the event’s importance in forging networks and mentorship pathways for future Saudi students entering the UNH-Riyadh programme.
The forthcoming on-ground campus will offer U.S.-accredited degrees, micro-credentials, preparatory English courses, and combined academic and professional-training tracks — a model designed to meet Saudi Arabia’s evolving workforce needs in sectors such as technology, engineering, business and security.
The pre-university programme is slated to begin early in 2026 to ready prospective students for full-degree studies.
While UNH has supplied education to Saudi students for decades and previously collaborated with Saudi institutions, this marks the first time an event has been held specifically for Saudi alumni, signaling a deeper institutional commitment to the Kingdom.
Organisers said they intend to make such gatherings a regular feature, helping build a strong local alumni network, support student recruitment, and enhance community engagement ahead of the Riyadh campus inauguration.
The alumni event may therefore serve as a blueprint for how international institutions can integrate with local educational ecosystems in Saudi Arabia’s era of reform and expansion.
